UND Aerospace Camp

fly.addict

New Member
UND Aerospace Camp, double major, questions...

Hey!

I am planning to go to UND in 2010 for commercial aviation and hopefully another major in business or engineering. I am already registered for this years aerospace camp in July. Has anyone gone or is anyone going? What should I expect?

Off topic, is it possible to get that double major?
 
First off, welcome to the forum. You're going to really enjoy the Aerospace Camp. I attended it a few years back and know numerous others that have as well. I still keep in touch with some of the people I met there. You can expect to do some fun flying and really see what the aerospace program has to offer. Unfortunately, you won't get to see the campus with all the students here since it is summer. But you will get a great idea of what the University has. If you have any questions, just ask, anyone will help you. Enjoy.
 
I'm here flying the whole summer, PM me if you want a tour of campus and a bit of an inside perspective on what's happening. If you want a double-major, consider Flight Education/Aviation Management--the management degree is a business degree issued by the School of Business, and doing Flight Education makes MEI a part of your degree program and eligible for financial aid. An engineering double-major would be pretty nuts...I know some folks that're just engineering majors and they're really busy.
 
Thanks for the replies guys!

pw, an inside tour from a students perspective would be nice, thanks. What year are you in and what major?

Seems like the camp is going to be a lot of fun. Really excited.

I have heard of a Professional Flight minor, but when I open the link it doesn't take me anywhere. Anybody have any idea what it is?

I'm interested on a double major because of the unstable market. If I would get furloughed I would have my other major to fall back on. Is tuition more expensive for double majors?
 
Well first off, keep asking questions, cause there are a lot of UND guys here, and UND CFI's. As far as cost, if you're going to fly and get a degree, it's going to cost you. I'm about 140K in the hole with commercial aviation. You can do it for less, maybe 100K, but if you have cost of living with it, it's higher. A business degree at the same time is a great idea as something to fall back on. Just commercial aviation... it's a tough market. Oh, and you will want your MEI, trust me.
 
I went to camp a few years back and loved it. Staying in Walsh Hall was even fun. If you need anything while you are here feel free to PM one of us. I will be up here instructing all summer.

As for the double major, yeah it is useful, but how useful will it be 10 years after graduation when you haven't used any of the stuff you learned? If you do pursue one, make sure it is something you will use. My old flight instructor did computer science and he makes some extra money doing that while being a CFI.
 
I know this gets preached on Jetcareers every day, but I would recommend not getting a degree in Aviation! Go to an in-state college/university and get a degree in something useful. If you want to go to UND, I'd knock out all the general ed. classes at a local community college and then transfer, it will save you a lot of money. I had a good time at UND, but I wouldn't do it again.
 
Thanks for all your help.


Flight training for me needs to be done in-university (structured). Please don't argue with me on this one. I respect all flight training school programs, but this is my personal choice and I will cover the additional expense. But, I do accept the fact that I may not do an aviation degree, because it will never really help you outside the airline.

This is why I want a double major. At first I thought of engineering, but if it is already hard by it self, it probably would be impossible to complete with a good GPA flying at the same time. Therefore, I am leaning into Business, something with Economics and Finance. Any insight? Will I have to give UND more of my $$$ because I will double major?
 
I know this gets preached on Jetcareers every day, but I would recommend not getting a degree in Aviation! Go to an in-state college/university and get a degree in something useful. If you want to go to UND, I'd knock out all the general ed. classes at a local community college and then transfer, it will save you a lot of money. I had a good time at UND, but I wouldn't do it again.

:yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat: :yeahthat:

Keep preaching this... I SO wish I would have listened to you guys!!!

You probably hate hearing the "go to a non-avit college and fly on the side" comments... I hated hearing them too. Now I regret hating those comments. :)

Flight training for me needs to be done in-university (structured). Please don't argue with me on this one. I respect all flight training school programs, but this is my personal choice and I will cover the additional expense. But, I do accept the fact that I may not do an aviation degree, because it will never really help you outside the airline.

I had the EXACT same attitude before I went to UND. I was trying to find old posts where I said "I am going to UND and that's that." They are somewhere on this forum...

Flight training for me needs to be done in-university (structured). Please don't argue with me on this one.

Seriously. I know I've said EXACTLY this. Even asked people to not argue with me.

I know you hate hearing this. I hated it too!

You're sold on UND, and I'm betting you're sure of your decision. I know I was. Just keep an open mind...

Make the most of your visit, and ask yourself if you REALLY want to go to UND. I didn't do the aerospace camp and while I'm sure it's fun, I'm not sure that it's an accurate depiction of how UND really is. If you have any doubts that UND might not be right for you, look at what you want to accomplish... Don't go to UND and end up regretting your decision a few years later.

Good luck. Make sure you bring mosquito spray. ;)
 
You're sold on UND, and I'm betting you're sure of your decision. I know I was. Just keep an open mind...


I am not sold on UND. I am only sold on the flight training method used by UND, Embry, FIT, ASU, Purdue, etc. If I do decide that I want to become a professional pilot, I will go to university to get this done (I did not say ND). Right now this is a tough decision because of the horrible pay and contract cfi's and regional pilots have, I just don't know if someone can have a decent life with that kind of pay.

If I do choose to do flight training, I will probably choose UND because I get MN reduced tuition. :D
 
If you are set on going to UND, then take my other advice and do all General Education class requirements in-state at a local school. You have to take them, whether you are an Aviation student or Nursing student, and they are the same at every University, but why pay more?

Also, getting a Commercial Aviation degree is completely worthless, IMHO! It teaches you how to fly an airplane and be a pilot. Look into Aviation/Airport Management or ATC or even just a Business Administration degree. You will be glad to have a degree in something useful once you lose your medical or that first round of furloughs/layoffs comes around and nobody is hiring pilots.

Isn't there an aviation college in Minnesota? Mankato, maybe?
 
I am not sold on UND. I am only sold on the flight training method used by UND, Embry, FIT, ASU, Purdue, etc. If I do decide that I want to become a professional pilot, I will go to university to get this done (I did not say ND). Right now this is a tough decision because of the horrible pay and contract cfi's and regional pilots have, I just don't know if someone can have a decent life with that kind of pay.

If I do choose to do flight training, I will probably choose UND because I get MN reduced tuition. :D

So your sold on Part 141 flight schools then. Nothing wrong with that at all, I suppose. Certain strokes for certain folks. Look around your area and find some non-college related Part 141 schools. They run the same way as a university flight department is going to run. Very structured, good for people who want that structure.

Just don't keep your options limited. After two years of college, in aviation programs, I'd say that I made a mistake. First, at a local aviation college, then at Embry Riddle. If I could go back and try again, I'd be in state (Kansas) doing business. But, at this point another transfer isn't going to help. I'd basically have to start over, and that would end up costing more than ERAU. Remember, the grass may look greener, but it probably isn't.
 
Isn't there an aviation college in Minnesota? Mankato, maybe?

Yes, there is MSU at Mankato and UM at Crookston which is a UND satellite.


I really am keeping an open mind at this moment. I'm still not sure if I should pursue pilot as a career because of the bad pay, poor conditions and horrible job security. I have always dreamed of becoming one, but I am very afraid that I will regret it when I make 15K instead of 60K 1st year. If I am not sure of that I am certainly not sure I want to go to UND. If I decide not to major in aviation I guarantee you I will not go to UND.

For those people who if they could do it all over again wouldn't go back to UND why?

Also, what can that Aviation management degree give me in terms of career prospects?
 
Like I mentioned above, I wouldn't get a degree in aviation. If you do Aviation or Airport Management, you will get a BBA in Aviation/Airport Management from the College of Business, so you will have to take Accounting, Finance, etc. and take some aviation classes. Personally, I think a Business degree is the way to go, but do it at an in-state college.

Here is the thing, if you want to fly for an airline, they don't give a hoot what kind of degree you have. Hell, I know a few guys at the regionals that don't even a college degree, just a HS diploma. But to get on with a major airline, most of them require a college degree. I've interviewed with a couple of regionals, and none of them ever asked/questioned my college degree. All they wanted to see is that I have a degree and that I've committed to something for 4 years. The fact is, in today's world, you need to have at least a Bachelors degree. I've flown with a Captain at my 'former' regional airline that has been with the company for 17 years. He was taking online classes to get his college degree, because he wanted to get on with Delta. His brother is an FO at DL.

Again, get a degree, but don't do the Commercial Aviation, Aeronautical Science or whatever the University calls it. It teaches you how to fly an airplane. Period. There are so many fields of study to choose from. I'd recommend a Business degree, and although Accounting and Finance may not sound like fun, you might actually enjoy them. Business and Marketing has always inserted me, and I took a bunch of Marketing classes while in college that I have actually found fun and useful and USED while out in the real world when I first started flight instructing and doing marketing and advertising for myself and the flight school.

Shop around, do some research, visit the schools and most importantly ask lots of questions!
 
Dude if you are from MSP. You don't have to really worry about being as unhappy as the rest of the guys. You will get a little shock GFK is a little colder and has more wind. St. Cloud State and MSUM are marginally cheaper. If you like what you see when you come up here give it a go. Unfortunately the PC pricks have pretty much pushed the Sioux name out. Best of luck. Oh yeah the Avit Management degree is a good balance. Aviation people will eventually torque you off after a while though.
 
^^ Agree with the aviation business degree the way to go. Still aviation enough for those requirments of much have aviation degree, and still business enough for those future furloughs you're gonna have. Man I miss springfest!

=Jason-
 
You don't have to really worry about being as unhappy as the rest of the guys.

Why are you guys unhappy?

Years waiting 20 minutes for the school bus at 7am in MN winters, I can take the cold, no problem.

Aviation people will eventually torque you off after a while though.

What do you mean? Do the commercial aviation guys get priority over the business guys when requesting aircraft and stuff like that?


Is anyone doing a double major???
 
What do you mean? Do the commercial aviation guys get priority over the business guys when requesting aircraft and stuff like that?


Is anyone doing a double major???


No none of that. It's just that you will encounter a few in the aviation department that make it really uncool to be an aviation student. It usually involves young Freshmen from anywhere outside the Midwest. They will usually let you know where they are from and that they are here for aviation. All within the first 30 seconds of conversation.
 
I have been thinking of doing a double major in Economics. Anybody know the usefulness of this degree?

My roommate was thinking about doing this and so he took a couple of ECON classes...

Now my roommate is not thinking about doing that.

Seriously, if you think you might be interested in doing Commerical Aviation AND Economics then go ahead and take the Microeconomics class when you get to UND because I think you are required to take Microeconomics anyway for Commerical Aviation.
 
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